Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 27540

Zip code 27540 in Holly Springs, North Carolina, is served by two large public middle schools—Holly Grove Middle and Holly Ridge Middle—both educating roughly 960–980 students in grades 6–8 within the highly rated Wake County Schools district (4 stars, ranked 60th of 246 districts statewide). Families in this area have access to two strong, similarly sized schools that both outperform district and state averages across nearly every subject and grade level.

Holly Grove Middle is the clear standout: it holds a 5-star rating, ranks 46th out of 778 North Carolina middle schools (94th percentile), and posts an average EOG proficiency rate of 82.4% across math, reading, and science. Holly Ridge Middle is also a strong school—4 stars, ranked 118th (85th percentile)—but its combined proficiency of 72.6% trails Holly Grove by roughly 10 percentage points. The largest gaps appear in 6th-grade math (90.3% vs. 69.7%) and 6th-grade reading (84.0% vs. 65.3%). Interestingly, Holly Ridge actually edges out Holly Grove in 8th-grade math (78.6% vs. 77.7%) and nearly matches it in 8th-grade science (81.8% vs. 83.1%), suggesting particular strength in upper-grade STEM coursework.

Recent trends reveal additional distinctions. Holly Grove showed remarkable year-over-year growth, jumping from about 75.9% to 82.4% overall proficiency, while Holly Ridge stayed essentially flat at roughly 72%. Holly Ridge's statewide ranking has also slipped steadily—from 82nd in 2023–2024 to 97th in 2024–2025 and 118th in 2025–2026—while Holly Grove has remained firmly in the 91st–94th percentile. Holly Ridge serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students (26.0% vs. 17.7% free/reduced lunch) and has slightly higher chronic absenteeism (17.7% vs. 15.9%), though both schools stay well below the state chronic absenteeism rate of 24.2%. Notably, Holly Ridge spends more per student ($8,619 vs. $8,219) yet achieves lower test scores, a reminder that spending alone does not drive outcomes. Both schools shine in 8th-grade science, far exceeding the state average of 68.6%. Overall, this zip code offers families two high-quality middle school options, with Holly Grove ranking among North Carolina's elite and Holly Ridge providing solid academics with genuine strengths in math and science at the 8th-grade level.